Vehicle covers are commonly used to protect vehicles from the elements when they are parked outdoors for extended periods of time. These covers are typically used to protect vehicles during long-term storage. However, with regard to damage to the vehicle's finish, there is very little difference between driving a vehicle daily in harsh conditions and not driving a vehicle in harsh conditions. In either case, the vehicle tends to spend a majority of its time parked and exposed to the elements. Although using a vehicle cover to protect a vehicle for long-term storage is only a minor inconvenience, installing and removing a vehicle cover on a daily basis, can become a significant nuisance. This is at least one reason why people who drive and park their vehicle outdoors on a daily basis do not use a vehicle cover. Even fairly sophisticated vehicle covers that roll up into the trunk rely on manual deployment and storage, which is still inconvenient enough to deter daily use. Furthermore, currently available vehicle covers must be dragged along the painted surfaces of the vehicle when being put in place. The creates an issue, as any dust or debris that is on the painted surface of the vehicle can cause scratches to the paint as the cover is pulled over the painted surface.
Therefore there is a need in the art for a system and method to automatically install and remove a vehicle cover. A vehicle cover that is convenient to use on a daily basis enables vehicles to be protected from the elements even when a vehicle is not in long-term storage. Additionally, a vehicle cover that is held above the surface of a vehicle will help reduce the occurrence of scratches that are caused by dust that is on the painted surface of the vehicle. These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be explained and will become obvious to one skilled in the art through the summary of the invention that follows.